1.
First and foremost, there's a mighty gap between the release of your
last album, "Regenesis Creation." I first heard about you guys from that
record, because a friend of mine had seen you in Little Rock (I'm in AR
by the way) and talked you up a good bit. So immediately, I grabbed the
album and found it to be profoundly interesting. But I kept waiting for
another offering from you guys, and began to think that the band might
have disbanded or something of that nature. Could you explain exactly
what happened in that six year period prior to releasing this album?

Subverseraph:
Who's your friend? I've lived in Arkansas twice in my life--from '86
to '93 and again from '99 to September of 2006, when I moved from there
to Austin, Texas to join the VESPERfold [roughly a year-and-a-half after
my musical endeavors with Greg and Jason Grunwald (both ex-FALLEN
EMPIRE) came to an end]. The years between the releases of R.G. and
S.W.O.A. can be defined by the following: my induction into the horde
on the position of synths/backup vocals; a (frikkin' AMAZING) Canadian
tour; Heathen Crusade Festival; the loss of original bassist Tony
Compton; the establishment of Amplitude Media Studios; an ill-fated,
bassistless west coast tour; Seattle Death Fest; the loss of guitarist
James Hardin and his being replaced by a rejoining JZD; Justin M.'s
filling of a long-vacant bass position; an east coast tour (with our
Swedish warbrethren in GODHATE); an utter clusterfuck of a fest in
Monterrey, Mexico; the rise and fall of MySpace (HAHAHA!!!); my
re-engaging in the pursuit of martial arts after a 12-year period of
sedimentary lifestyle; yet another utter clusterfuck of a fest in
Monterrey, this time with MAYHEM (fool me once--shame on you; fool me
twice......); the birth of William's child; Kristoph's wedding; the
hiring and firing of "managers;" total cockteases leading up to total
radio silence from various labels; assorted live dates and festivals
across Texas; countless LONG nights in the studio,
writing/composing/arranging the material found on S.W.O.A.; the
cathartic severing of ties and the acclamation of new, infinitely more
essential bonds.

2. Next, I would ask you to describe the recording process for this album. What was the toughest part of that process?

Subverseraph:
S.W.O.A. was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered out of our very
own Amplitude Media Studios, engineered/produced by Kristoph and
co-produced by William and myself over the course of the
year-and-some-months leading up to its release. The most tedious part
of that process for me was choosing which strings patches to use when so
that I wasn't canceling myself out. You can map/block your shit out in
the rehearsal room, on paper, and in your head 'til you're blue in the
face, but when it finally comes down to tracking it over guitars, bass,
and drums, it's practically a whole 'nother story. It's all about
frequencies, or so I've learned.

3. What was it like
working with Carl August Tideman (Winds/Arcturus), Jason McMaster
(Dangerous Toys, Watchtower), Erika Tandy (Autumn Tears/Ignitor) and the
guy who designed your album cover, Jon Zig? But I'm really kind of
curious about Jon in particular. Did the guy kind of just call you up
one day and say "Hey, I did an awesome album cover for you; is there any
chance that I could also be featured on the album?"

Subverseraph:
As ARCTURUS's Aspera Hiems Symfonia is the album that inadvertently
brought the founding members of V.S. together, Tidemann has always been
one of William's heroes, and one day, William decided on a whim to
contact him about the possibility of a guest appearance on the album;
Tidemann replied cordially and in a timely manner, basically saying that
were he to dig the material and were he to find the time, he wouldn't
mind providing us with a contribution or two; the songs and sections
were sent to him; he got back with us the same day (or the next, if
memory serves me incorrectly),expressing his being impressed and honored
to lay some leads down for us, and shortly thereafter, we had them.
Needless to say, we were awestruck by what he gave us and are eternally
grateful to him. Erika's been a friend of mine and of the band for some
years now, and when faced with who to approach about female vocals, the
question was never there. We didn't want some soulless,
obligatory-sounding soprano; Erika is experienced and has the range,
power, technique, and uniqueness that "Casting Dawn into Shadow," "Eye
of the Clock Tower," and "Death She Cried" called for. (http://www.reverbnation.com/morgengrau)
The same goes for McMaster on "...Clock Tower" and "Relics of the
Impure" who came into the studio one evening, was handed lyrics, heard
what he was about to track over, tracked it, and left, being there for
all of about 20 minutes or something. (http://www.reverbnation.com/evilunited)
At the time of this interview, Erika has performed "Casting..." with
us live on three separate occasions and McMaster twice on "Relics..."
with hopefully many more to come. They're bad-asses. And speaking of
bad-asses,...Jon Zig--frontman of Austin-based brutal death metal bands
IMAGES OF VIOLENCE and SARCOLYTIC (both of which have been recorded by
Kristoph out of Amplitude) and renowned tattoo artist known for the
album cover artworks he's done for the likes of SUFFOCATION, AVERSE
SEFIRA, PSYPHERIA, etc. (http://www.medusaink.com/;http://www.facebook.com/Sarcolytic;http://www.facebook.com/ImagesOfViolence)
As equally talented behind the mic as he is with the needle, we
couldn't have asked for anyone more brutal to supply us with what he did
on "An Empire to Mourn" and "Legacies Befallen," and as we are toward
all of whom agreed to accent our art with their talents, we're honored
and eternally grateful for his propelling our album into an all-new
dimension of might.

4. How do you think this album
differs, or is it a step above your previous release "Regenesis
Creation?" I'm hearing some definite goth influences, particularly on
the song "Casting Dawn Into Shadow." To be honest, there are even some
parts that remind me heavily of early Graveworm, which was a truly
formidable gothic black/death band in their era. What influences did
you bring into this album that you didn't have in the last offering?

Subverseraph:
S.W.O.A. is everything that made R.G. what it was and more--harder,
heavier, more venomous in its faster sections and more monolithic in its
slower ones, vastly more complex, more extreme all around and above
all, darker. The 6-year period between albums was, within the confines
of the band as an entity and in our personal lives both, one of
bittersweet maturation and progressions throughout the more forboding of
life's territories, so it's only natural that S.W.O.A. reflects such
catharsis. Plus, our current lineup is VS's strongest to date, so the
potential for more masterful performances was there in spades.
Interesting as to how "Casting..." came to be: one somewhat
directionless evening at Amplitude, I was in the control room, dicking
around on my Fantom with a synthline I had been playing with of late;
Kristoph at the console hears it and goes, "Sounds like something THE
BIRTHDAY MASSACRE (a non-metal guilty pleasure of his, mine, and
William's) would do; sick; let's lay it down," to which I oblige and
after which he tracks scratch guitars over and programs scratch drums
under, resulting in what eventually became 0:00-0:50 and 1:40-2:13. The
"gothic" undertones coursing through the influence we cull from
early-90's Swedish death metal within our music gives us a certain edge
that distinguishes our sound from that of the average so-called
"symphonic black metal" (a very broad and generic label that we resent
and feel transcendent of) band. GRAVEWORM is not amongst these
influences. Engraved in Black came out around my senior year of high
school, and I bought it not having heard anything off of it prior. I
can probably count on one hand the number of times I've listened to
it since--kinda came off to me as a less effective AGATHODAIMON,
honestly. Good band, great musicians--not my cup of tea, personally.

5.
Neoclassical and medieval folk music plays a huge role in the band, and
has since it's inception. What composers do you consider the biggest
influences in this notion. And as for metal influences, what bands or
musicians in that genre do you consider to be key inspirations for your
work?

6.
Vesperian Sorrow is a rather interesting and unique name for a band. It
not only has the tinge of black metal nature, but it also has a
slightly gothic semblance that I think you've fully embodied on this
powerful release. Who came up with the original name for the band, and
what does it mean?

Subverseraph: It was formulated
by Don Donni, Kristoph, and William when it was decided that the band's
original name, UNHOLY DESCENT, was no longer befitting of the music they
were writing upon the induction of William in 1996. Derived from the
latin word "vesper," "vesperian" pertains to duskfall, sundown, the
onset of night, etc., and "Vesperian Sorrow" is open to an extent of
interpretation. Anything along the lines of the following is valid:
mass grievance at the demise of light, scourge/plague of eternal night,
profound bereavement for endless death marked by the banished sun and
rising moon (i.e. the Beowulf-Grendel dynamic), metaphor for the Black
Death, etc. You get the picture; choose one or all.

7.
You guys are from Texas. Of course, seeing as I'm living in the state
right above you, I understand what the scenes are like here and how
ignorant some people can be. Have you ever had any of those shows where
people stood outside with signs saying "heavy metal is evil" or
something of that nature? Being in Bible country, I'm sure it happens
quite a bit.

Subverseraph: BWAHAHA!!! I wish. The
only time we've experienced anything like that was at a gig in
Victoria, Texas, but the "protesters" evacuated before we actually
arrived at the venue, unfortunately, so no, not exactly. Too bad.

8.
What is the message of "Stormwinds Of Ages?" Could you describe some of
the more powerful lyrical concepts that you want the world to know
about? Is there anything that you feel might need clarification?

Subverseraph:
There is no latent "message" behind what we do. We stand for nothing
but ourselves, the music itself, and the band itself as an entity. The
concepts behind my favorite tracks are as follows: "Stormwinds of Ages"
is a war anthem, the Nephilim's call-to-arms; "An Empire to Mourn" is
about a conquered civilization forced into subterranean relinquishment;
"Casting Dawn into Shadow" tells of a blood flood that begets a pandemic
of strigoi; "Legacies Befallen" chronicles a bloodline cursed for
generations by an undying inheritance of daemonic possession; "Of
Opiates and Accolades" illustrates the seemingly contradictory balance
of Light and Dark required to live a life of authenticity.

9.
You gentlemen have been lucky enough to play shows not only here in the
states, but festivals in Germany, England, Canada and Mexico. As such,
I'm sure you guys have some interesting tour stories. What are some
interesting or downright comical tour stories that you guys can share
with us?

Subverseraph: A month after I joined the
band, we embarked on a 3-and-a-half-week tour of Canada/Quebec with
several US dates along the way, one of which was Rochester, New York. A
woman from one of the opening acts made her lady boner for Kristoph all
too apparent, much to the dismay of her band's frontman who was
evidently in some kind of relationship with her. Well, after the gig
and while we were loading out behind the venue, this guy storms out of
the club yelling as he passes each member of V.S., "Fuck you! Fuck you!
Fuck you!" Donni: "Huh? Fuck ME?" Douchebag: "Nah, you're cool.
But fuck you!" He then gets in his car and drives off after doing some
drunken angry donuts in the empty parking lot. A few minutes pass, as
we go about our business loading up the trailer hitched to our tour van,
and then he returns, fullspeed ahead, seemingly intent on crashing his
vehicle into it (with our drumtech inside). Foiling his plan to fuck us
up, though, was some type of formidably-sized pipe that stopped his ass
dead about 5 feet short of collision. Drama queen survived, but his
car didn't, and as smoke began to rise from under its bent-to-shit hood,
HE STARTED CRYING!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!!!!! Total Darwin Award.

10. Where do your lyrics come from? What inspires them?

Subverseraph:
They stem from visions had by Don Donni, scenarios upon which he
elaborates in poetry and creates spectral landscapes behind--all
blighted by decay in one form or another. They're fairly stream of
consciousness and as esoteric as the listener wishes them to be as per
their own interpretation.

11. What are some good books, films, or computer/video games that you guys might recommend?

Subverseraph:
Check out the latest (animated) installment in the Starship Troopers
franchise, Starship Troopers: Invasion. Directed by Shinji Aramaki
(Appleseed, Bubblegum Crisis, Gasaraki, etc.) and executive-produced by
Casper Van Dien, it pays way more homage to the original novel by Robert
A. Heinlein and is infinitely more bad-ass than the 1997 film, not to
mention, its 2 piece-of-shit sequels. I haven't made the time to delve
into many books lately, but one that I HAVE is one I found in the
2-dollar clearance bin of a Barnes & Noble several weekends ago--The
Illustrated History of Torture: From the Roman Empire to The War on
Terror. Seek it out, and be sure to read it while eating BBQ-flavored
vienna sausage.

12. What are some new bands that you
think are worth checking out, whom we might not have previously heard
of? Are there any other bands/musicians in other genres that you think
are worth checking out?

13. What hobbies do you guys pursue outside of the band? Is there anything about you guys that we wouldn't have guessed?

Subverseraph:
Martial arts has always been a part of my family, what with me, my
brother and father studying Tae Kwon Do ('90-'93 in Arkansas) and
Kajukenbo ('93-'97 in Hawaii), and since early 2008, I've taken on
Tukong Moosul, which is what's taught to the South Korean Special
Forces. It's the "other woman," so to speak, to the band and my
V.S.-related endeavors. Through the academy I train at now, I fell in
with a team of stuntmen/fight choreographers, which opened the door to
some acting in film that I've done in recent years and continue to do
every now and then.

14. Even though it's been a
while, Dimmu Borgir put out Abrahadabra. Even though there are many
people out there who hate the band, what did you gentlemen think of it,
if you've even played it at all? The same question goes for Morbid
Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus. What were your impressions, and do you
think it was as awful as everyone has said?

Subverseraph:
Rhetorical questions. Upon exposure to MORBID ANGEL's I.D.I., I was
embarrassed FOR them. I need not elaborate. Abrahadabra has a few
interesting moments strewn about here and there, but DIMMU BORGIR is a
shadow of its former self, and that's never been more evident than on
said album. Listen to Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (everything up
to which was excellent, in my opinion, especially Stormblast and
Spiritual Black Dimensions) and then to Abrahadabra--Daray's a bad-ass
drummer, but the guitars (when you can actually hear what they're doing
exactly--claustrophobic mix and testosteroneless tone) are fairly
uninspired for the most part and buried somewhere beneath a Harry Potter
orchestra that inadvertently NEGATES any dark atmosphere and INSULTS
their no-longer-upheld, Nordic might-encapsulating style of blackened
metal.

15. Despite the fact that you've been around
the world and produced four albums to your credit, your talent has been
overshadowed by other bands, and there are some metal fans who haven't
even heard of you. By the sounds of this disc, it seems like you guys
are hoping for a major breakthrough album. What's even more is that
you're not even attached to a label anymore, yet I'm seeing an add in my
latest Decibel (magazine) that looks as professional as any label
advertisement would. How in the world do you guys manage to do this by
yourselves? And what could other musicians who wish to be independent
learn from you?

Subverseraph: S.W.O.A. was released
on The Path Less Traveled Records, and the only backing we have from
them is through distribution, so yes, we are essentially independent.
We manage to do this on our own out of choicelessness. Despite
countless attempts toward it, we're not signed to Napalm or Season of
Mist or Nuclear Blast (yet), but in the meantime, we're not just going
to sit on our laurels waiting for "something to happen." We MAKE shit
happen because we can't afford not to--to the best of our ability,
cognizant of past experiences with at the very least, more to gain. And
it's not cheap or easy, but is anything of any lasting worth?
Advertising (like everything) costs money, and you get what you pay for.
Metal is art, and art is suffering. If you're unwilling to make
financial sacrifices and sacrifices of time and are too inept to network
with others in the field or are too immature to delay gratification,
expect to remain as nothing going nowhere.

16. I'm
not even going to beat around the bush. Whether or not you're in Greece
or London playing a show, you're still American citizens and there's one
hell of an election going on in our country. Let's get political for a
second. What are your views on the unemployment rate, the tax cuts for
the rich, and imminent destruction of the middle class? There are
literally some people who are scared to death by the election of a new
figurehead in the White House, and that in turn scares ME to death. What
are your thoughts on all this political drama?

Subverseraph:
Shit, sheeple wanna put enemies of the Constitution in office that
wanna rape us one civil liberty at a time, they'll reap the rewards. It
matters not. Too far gone for far too long. All will be a
post-apocalyptic Hyborian age of Conan soon anyway where the only law is
that of the sword, and quite frankly, the older I get, the more that
that law is the only one that makes any sense. Scared of it being all
Mad Max and shit? Why? Certainly simpler that way.

17.
Imagine this. You were given the ability to create total destruction
upon the earth, in order to cleanse all of mankind. How would you do it?
Massive fireballs from the sky, monsters rising up out of the water,
perhaps? Describe to me, no matter how silly; your perfect apocalypse.

Subverseraph:
Definitely with monsters rising from the ocean's depths to give
civilizations worldwide the ultimate ass-kicking. Japanese giant
monster movies are something that I was obsessed with as a kid and never
grew out of. Mass destruction is my meditation. I'd love nothing more
than for Godzilla-esque leviathans to reveal themselves to an oblivious
and meddling mankind through reducing the world's superpowers to
flaming rubble beneath their clawed, saurian feet (and tails).

18.
Do you have anything else to share with your fans, or any other
messages you need to get out before the end of the interview?

Subverseraph:
I do not, but eternal thanks for the interview and for your support
and to the fans worldwide for yours--y'all make it all the more worth
it; we'll see ya soon. Stay dark. \m/ >,< \m/

I
apologize for the length, but thank you for your answers, and maybe if
all goes well, I'll be able to see you guys at Downtown Music in LR, as I
missed you on the tour for the last album. I'll definitely buy a shirt
in support!

THE REVIEW

Vesperian Sorrow - Stormwinds Of Ages (PR2012)
- Texas epic extreme metallers, Vesperian Sorrow are certainly no
stranger to me. I jumped at the chance to review this disc and it was
well worth it. As much as I loved 2006's "Regenesis Creation", 2012's
new album was well worth waiting for.

But with six years comes
it's share of differences. For instance, this disc has more of a gothic
feel and a much higher production value that definitely dwarfs the
production on their earlier disc. The vocals are absolutely killer,
comparable to latter God Dethroned, but even better I think. The
melodies and riffs are fucking beautiful, as well as the solos. The
drums blast every which way and still manage to not lose the atmosphere
that the synths carry so well.

I honestly didn't expect this
much of a gothic metal influence this time, but it seems to have worked
well for the band. Don't worry though, as there is still plenty of black
metal influence here as well. It all melds together so seamlessly, just
as I would've expected.

Sometimes there are layering effects on
the clean vocals (which sound very dark regardless) and some female
vocals on major standout, "Casting Dawn Into Shadows 5:23." I've ever
heard full on clean in "Eye Of The Clocktower 7:14" and never knew that
their vocalist had such a great singing voice. Speaking of that track,
it's a long epic, and definitely deserves that title.

Fans of
more popular black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Old Man's Child
that feel those bands haven't offered anything that great in a while
might want to check the Vesperian camp over here out. But I won't even
lie that I am still drawing some major vocal comparisons to God
Dethroned here, and I like that a great deal.

This disc is
actually full of surprises and every damned one of them is worth
hearing. When they say "epic" they mean epic. I literally feel this disc
as the soundtrack to a very dark fantasy role-playing game. You could
probably play it during Dark Souls. But I'm sure that these guys don't
care, and probably play it too.

There's not one song here that I
can't recommend, not one instrumentation that I did not like here.
Everything definitely was set to kill, and to thrill. This is not
boring, and it's most certainly brutal. You're going to hear great
riffs, great drumming, fucking killer vocals and the kind of synths that
make this kind of metal epic. I had no idea I was going to enjoy this
disc so fucking much, so I recommend that you check it out too, because
it's one of the year's best, quite simply.

There's so much meat
to this album, and so much ground has been covered in each and every one
of these songs. If these guys don't get known for this fucking disc,
then they just won't get known and I'd piss all over the scene for it.
This is the kind of metal that's going to mean something, and I'm sure
that the underground embrace is going to come for them soon enough. This
is a disc that was well worth waiting for, quite possibly the best of
their fucking career.

You can't go wrong with this one.

Highlights: The Whole Disc, even the intro! Play it again and again. (11 Tracks, 57:00)